This invention relates to a method and apparatus for depositing textile sliver into a coiler can, particularly a can with an elongated horizontal cross-sectional outline, referred to as a flat coiler can. The sliver is the product of a carding machine or a drawing frame and is advanced thereby to pressure rolls which, in turn, forward the sliver into a rotary coiler head which deposits the sliver into the reciprocated flat coiler can in an annular pattern. When the can is filled, it is moved away from the coiler head such that the can outline will be situated laterally beyond the coiler head and the sliver is severed to thus obtain a sliver end of the sliver contained in the coiler can.
In a known process, as disclosed in EP Patent Document 0 457 099, a can is filled with sliver. In the zone of the emplacement for the filled coiler cans a sliver severing device is provided. The severing device may be formed of a pivotal clamping bar which cooperates with the gripper grasping that coiler can which is pushed out from under the coiler head and which is closest to the coiler head. By virtue of this arrangement, upon firmly clamping the sliver connecting the two coiler cans, a sliver severing occurs when the coiler can situated in the filling position moves away from the filled and pushed-out coiler can during the sliver filling process. In this manner the sliver is pulled apart and severed at a predetermined clamping location. Upon releasing the gripper from the filled coiler can and upon subsequent positioning of the can, for example, onto a can transporting (removal) device, the sliver end will assume a position in a predetermined region underneath the coiler can edge and in the region of one of the narrow sides of the flat coiler can. It is a condition for achieving such a result that the coiler can exchange occurs at a moment in which the region of that narrow side of the coiler can is underneath the coiler head which is closest to the empty coiler can to be exchanged for the full coiler can. Upon deposition of the last sliver layer, the coiler can remains in the same position underneath the coiler head. It is a disadvantage of this arrangement that the sliver quantities deposited in the can are changing from can to can. The sliver charging depends, among others, from the location of filling and deviations which may result from the back and forth travel of the coiler can during sliver filling. The length of the severed, linear sliver which hangs across the top edge of a transverse wall of the coiler can is approximately of constant length. The total sliver quantity, that is, the can fill of annular pattern and the overhanging linear sliver length is, however, different in case of different coiler cans.